Pennants

There are several pennants south of here, but in these mountains I have only seen two, the Halloween Pennant (Celithimis eponina) and the Calico Pennant (Celithemis elisa).

The Halloween Pennant is the larger of the two, about an inch and a half. The orange and black banded wings are fairly diagnostic.

Halloween Pennant

The Calico Pennant is about an inch and a quarter. The wings are clear with bold brownish-black markings and a bright red stigma (that little rectangular bit on the leading edge of the wing tip. In mature males, note the row of red “hearts” running down the abdomen.

Calico Pennant

Both species tend to emerge at the very end of June or in early July. This year, I saw my first Calico on the last day of June and my first Halloween on the first day of July.

Look for these dragonflies perched on the tops of mulleins or similar weeds literally waving in the breeze like flags–hence the name.